Die casting machine



Y JQN. SMITH A DIE CASTINGMAGHINE Nov. 4, 1941.

Filed oct. 24v,l 1959 Patented Nov. 4, 1941 James N. smith, wsmelu, N.-J., assignor to Aluminum Company of America, Pittsburgh, Pa., acorporation of Pennsylvania Application October 24, 1939, ,Serial No.300,956

4 Claims.

This invention relates to die casting machines..

and particularly to die casting machines designed to cast metal atrelatively high pressures.

In die casting machines employing a xed and a movable die to form a moldcavity, and especially in those machines employing a reciprocableplunger to force the material to be cast into the mold cavity under highpressures, such as pressures of from 1000 to 'T500-pounds per squareinch, the mechanism for injecting the material into the mold cavity isusually positioned on one side of the die-parting line, and themechanism for moving the movable die to and from the fixed die islocated on the opposite side of the die- A parting line. With theplunger type of machine, the plunger and the movable die are ordinarilyactuated by suitable hydraulic pressure apparatus. Such an arrangementof the injecting apparatus and the die-operating mechanism results inthemachines requiring a considerable amount of :door space, and this isparticularly true with respect to the plungerA type of machines in viewof the large size of the apparatus required to operate themetal-injecting plunger and the movable die.

It Iis an object of this invention to provide compact and economical diecasting apparatus in which both the mechanism for injecting materialinto the dies, and the mechanism for moving the movable die to and fromthe xed die, lie on the same side of the die-parting line, and a portionof the mechanism for injecting material into the dies is telescoped intothe mechanism for actuating the movable die.

It is a further object of this invenon to provide die casting apparatusin which the movable die is actuated by a pressure cylinder reciproeableover a xed ram, and a plunger adapted to force molten metal into themold cavity is reciprocated by mechanism located in the iixed ram. It isa further object of .this invention to provide die casting apparatushaving hydraulic mechanism for opening and closing the dies, andeiahydraulically-actlmted plunger adapted to; force molten metal into thedies, in which the hydraulic mechanism for actuating the plunger islocated within the mechanism for opening and closing the dies.

Other objects of this invention will be apparent from the followingspecidcation and claims, and fromthe accompanying drawing, in

which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of adie casting machine coistructed in accordancewith my invention; an Y c Fig. 2 isa view, partly in side elevation andpartly in vertical section, taken on the line II-lI of Fig. l..

Referring to the drawing, the iixed die I and the movable die '2, whichcooperate to form the mold cavity, are carried by the xed die plate 3and the movable die plate 4 respectively. The movable die plate iscarried by the pillar bars 5 which are xedly attached to the pressurecylinder 6, which cylinder is slidably mounted on the machine frame forreciprocation along the xed ram l. The Iixed ram I is attached to thefixed die plate 3, and is provided toward one end thereof with a portionla of enlarged diameter with which the interior side wall .of thecylinder B has a sliding lit. Likewise, the interior side wall of thecylinder 6 is provided with an annular packing seat 8 which cooperateswith the bushing 9 to -hold the packing I0 which has a sliding nt overthe iixed ram l. The iluid pas- -sage II in the xed ram communicateswith a source of hydraulic pressure, and also communicates with thespace between the cylinder 6 and the ram 'l defined by the enlargedportion 'la of the ram and the packing I0, through the port I Ia. 'Iheuid passage I2 communicates with a source of hydraulic pressure, andalso communicates with the interior of the pressure cylinder 6 throughthe port Ia.

The receptacle I3 for material to be cast has a pouring hole I4 thereinand extends through the face of the xed die plate 3 to which the iixeddie l is attached, and projects into a transverse opening I5 in theiixed die plate 3, which opening permits access to the pouring hole I6of the receptacle so that molten metal to be cast can be poured into thereceptacle from a. ladle or the like. The bore of the receptacle I3communi- Vcates with the mold cavity when the dies are 40 closedthrougha gate opening in the xed -die I.

A plunger I6is reciprocable lengthwise of the bore of the receptacle I3to force molten metal or the like from the receptacle and into the dies.

A pressure chamber Il having a piston I8 reciprocable therein isprovided in the xed ram 1,

the piston I8 vbeing connected to the plunger I6 by the piston rod I9.The iluidpassages 20 and 2l communicate with the pressure chamber I1 andwith a suitable source of hydraulic pressure' '50 to actuate the pistonI8 and the plunger I8.

The apparatus described above operates as follows:

With the dies separated, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, pressure fluidis introduced into the pressure cylinder 6 through the passage I2,forcing the pressure cylinder to move away from the xed die I andthereby drawing the movable die -2 against the fixed die to form themold cavity.

With the dies in that position, the material to be cast is ladled intothe receptacle I3 through the pouring hole I4, after which pressureiiuid is introduced into the pressure chamber II through the iluidpassage 2| to move the piston I8 toward the ilxed die I and therebyimpart an injecting stroke to the plunger I6 which forces the moltenmaterial in the receptacle into the mold cavity formed by the fixed andmovable dies. When the casting in the mold cavity has hardenedsufciently to permit its removalfrom the dies, pressure fluid isv forcedinto the pressure cylinder I through the uid passage Il and, as thepressure cylinder 6 advances under the inuence of that pressure, themovable die 2 is carried away from the xed die I by the pillar bars 5.To cause retraction of the plunger I6 and the piston I8, pressure fluidis admitted into the pressure chamber Il through the fluid passage 20.

Various modications can be made in the apparatus described above withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention norvfrom the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a die casting machine, a xed diel and amovable die adapted tocooperate to form a mold and having a transverse opening therein, areceptacle for metal to be cast, said receptacle being carried by saiddie plate and having a substantially horizontally disposed borecommunieating with said fixed die, a plunger reciprocable in saidreceptacle, a substantially horizontally reciprocable pressure cylinder,means carried by said pressure cylinder for supporting said movable die,a xed ram attached to said fixed die plate and extending into saidpressure cylinder,` means for supplying pressure iiuid to the interiorof said pressure cylinder to actuate said cylinder and said movable die,s'aid receptacle having a pouring hole therein communicating with saidtransverse opening in said die plate, and means within said iixed ramfor actuating said plunger. 2. In a die casting machine, a fixed die anda movable die adapted to cooperate to form a mold cavity, a fixed dieplate carrying said fixed die c reciprocable pressure cylinder, meanscarried by said pressure cylinder for supporting said movable die, aixed ram attached to said fixed die plate and extending into saidpressure cylinder, means for supplying pressure iiuid to the interior,of said pressure cylinder to actuate said cylinder and said movabledie, said receptacle having a pouring hole therein communicating withsaid transverse opening in said die plate, a pressure chamber withinsaid ram, a piston reciprocable within said pressure chamber and adaptedto actuate said plunger, and means for supplying pressure fluid to saidpressure chamber to actuate' saidpiston.

3. A die casting machine comprisinga ilxed dieV and a movable die'adapted to cooperate to form a mold cavity, a substantially horizontallyreciprocable pressure cylinder, means carried by said pressure cylinderfor supporting said movable die, said iixed die being intermediate said-movable die and said pressure cylinder; a fixed ram within saidpressure cylinder, means for supplying pressure iiuid to the interior ofsaid pressure cylinder which is eilective to actuate said pressurecylinder and said movable die, a receptacle i'or metal to be cast havinga substantially horizontally disposed bore communicating with said moldcavity when said dies are closed, said receptacle being disposedintermediate said iixed die and said fixed ram, a plunger reciprocablein the bore of said receptacle, and a piston reciprocable within saidram and adapted -to actuate said plunger.

4. A die casting machine comprising a fixed die and a movable dieadapted to cooperate.v to form a mold cavity, a substantiallyhorizontally reciprocable pressure cylinder, means carried by saidpressure cylinder for supporting said movable die, said iixed die beingintermediate said movable die and said pressure cylinder, a iixed ramwithin said pressure cylinder, means for supplying pressure fluid to theinterior of said pressure cylinder which is effective to actuate saidpressure cylinder and said movable die, a receptacle for metal to becast having a substantially horizontally disposed bore communicatingwith said mold cavity when said dies are closed and lying wholly belowthe horizontal axis of said ilxed ram, said receptacle being disposedintermediate said fixed vdie and said fixed ram, a plunger reciprocablein the bore of said receptacle, and 'a piston reciprocable within saidram and adapted to actuate said plunger, said plunger and said `pistonlying wholly below the horizontal axis `of said ilxed ram.

slums N. SMITH.

